Kore
by Reincarnations
Summary: Since Zeus discovered her, Mal now has to attend Camp Half-Blood for the next week or so. Mal can't tell anyone she is the daughter of Hades, so she has to play the part of the daughter of Persephone. Well, she can tell her siblings if she so wishes. Good thing Uma will be there to help, but she is too busy falling in love with someone that will leave her in the end.
1. New Chapter 1

**Hello readers!**

**As stated on September 25****th****, this story has gone under MAJOR reconstruction. **

**First: I changed the plot, so now it takes place **_**after**_** Descendants 3. That means, Mal and Ben are 'engaged', the barrier has been removed, and a bridge connects the Isle and Auradon. **

**Second: I have adjusted the length of chapters. Although it may be evident from this chapter, I am going to keep the chapter length above 2500 words, but ****below 4000. That will be a nice change from the previous 1000 words chapters. **

**Thirdly: I modified the chapters to have more detail than before. Skimming through the old chapters (which wasn't hard), I felt terrible that the chapters were so badly written.**

**Fourthly: There won't be a chapter next week, since I am posting two chapters today. This way I can finish up 'Welcome to Reality' to focus on this story.**

**Lastly: I once again apologize if there are a couple characters that seem out of character.**

**WARNING****: I am still using my idea for Jason Grace. If you don't know what happens, find out before we get too far. After reading "****A Tyrant's Tomb****", I decided to make the scenario I have a little sadder. I am tearing up at my idea, so I think you will too. **

**Without further delay, enjoy the story!**

* * *

Where to begin on a story like this . . .

First—to recap a few events—you probably know about the incident involving Princess Audrey seeking revenge on Mal for becoming engaged to the King of Auradon, which made her the future Queen of Auradon—the title Audrey had been raised to inherit when she came of age. Long story short, Uma and her pirates helped the Core Four stop Audrey's plot for revenge, until they learned the magical barrier on the Isle of the Lost would be permanently closed.

Accepting the destined fate, the six agreed that the future queen was only doing what was best for the kingdom. However, during the celebration of their engagement, Mal voiced that she could not be queen of only Auradon, but also the queen of the Isle. With the ultimatum announced, King Ben declared that they would remove the barrier on the Isle of the Lost, forever. In a matter of minutes, the barrier was indeed removed, and a bridge was built from Auradon to the Isle of the Lost.

During the week-long altercation, Mal revealed the identity of her father first to her friends, and then to the citizens of Auradon. You can probably hear their gasps at the knowledge of _Hades_ being her father, the same ma—_god_ that tried to escape the Isle of the Lost the day she became engaged.

After mending family-conflict wounds, Mal spent a few days learning more about her father while everyone was preparing for the new school year.

With the help of 'Councilor' Evie, King Ben determined that the new Isle children transfers—graduated or not—would spend at least one academic year at Auradon Prep to learn basic life skills not taught on the Isle of the Lost. This resulted in many students taking Remedial Goodness 101, Basic Chivalry. . . really any class that taught them kindness and manners. Carlos, starting the new year as a senior, graciously offered to be a sort of tour guide for the new students.

Although Jay had made plans to travel the kingdom with Gil, they were sadly put on hold due to the royal proclamation. So, Jay went back to his original plan of attending Sherwood University. During their school breaks, they would explore the kingdom together. However . . . they would end up bringing their significant others on the 'field trips', as Gil called it.

Anyways, Hades told Mal many stories about himself from the past few eons. The tales started with how his father swallowed him whole and ended with Hades falling in love and marrying his wife, Persephone. The anecdotes about his life came to an end when Mal scolded him for marrying two women at the same time, so he changed the subject to his two other children.

Now this may be hard to explain. Remember: don't feel bad if you don't understand right away.

Apparently, there's this other alternate dimension with a place called United States of America instead of United States of Auradon. In this place, the gods reside in Olympus, which is located on the six-hundredth floor of a building called the Empire State Building in a city called New York City. Hades was usually only allowed on Olympus for emergency meetings with his two brothers—Mal's uncles—so he spends his time in the Underworld, the entrance being in another city called Los Angeles.

According to Hades, his son had been placed in a hotel where time flowed slower. When he came out with his sister, over fifty years had passed. The son's sister was killed over a year after they left the hotel. The son had tried many times to bring her back from the dead, but eventually gave up after taking his half-sister out of the Underworld.

This 'half-sister' was also a daughter of Hades—no, she was a daughter of Pluto. Some of the gods have a Greek and Roman form with each form having a different name. Hades is his Greek name while Pluto is his Roman name. Their father looked different in either form; he even looked different in Auradon than he would in America.

Anyways, Mal's sister had moved across the kingd—_country _multiple times with her deranged mother. The sister died trying to prevent an evil from literally rising from the ground. She was brought back from the dead when their brother helped her escape the Underworld.

Her brother and sister have no idea that Mal exists. They also had no knowledge of the kingdom Auradon. As far as they knew, they were the only siblings they have that are alive. Hades assured Mal that was best for now because of the vow he made with his brothers.

There was this war caused by the Big Three's children; Hades's children on one side and his brothers' children on the other. Those brooding cousins destroyed many cities and killed thousands of lives with no regrets. The Big Three made a pact that they would have no demigod children with humans.

However, somebody broke the pact.

That 'somebody' was none other than Zeus and then Poseidon. Zeus fell in love with this blonde-haired diva and had a child with her twice; first in his Greek form and then the second time six years later in his Roman form. Poseidon broke the pact when he fell in love with a sweet and kind mortal just a year before Zeus broke the pact a second time. Hades didn't break the pact since his two children from America were either lost in time or was brought back from the dead.

With that said, Zeus found out about Mal when Hades had disappeared for a short time. A war had just ended that was the demigods versus the giants. This Earth giant named Gaea had tried to make the Roman demigods attack the Greek demigods' camp, which essentially failed. When Hades didn't physically appear to help his Roman daughter like the other gods did for their children, Zeus grew suspicious and eventually discovered that Hades was hiding out in a new 'universe' called Auradon.

After intense arguing on Olympus, Hades and Zeus came to an agreement. If Mal was willing, she would attend the Greek camp for a few days to see how the demigods react to her. After the time is up, she will go to Olympus and be judged by the other gods.

The catch?

Mal can't tell _anyon_e that she is the daughter of Hades, which meant she would have to lie about her parentage.

You see, the gods made a promise about a year ago that they would claim their children at the rightful age of thirteen. The gods couldn't go back on this promise considering how much the demigods helped them in the last two wars.

_That_ is where her step-mother comes in.

* * *

Before we begin the story, you should know that Mal was given permission to have one friend accompany her to Camp Half-Blood. Since her closest friends were preoccupied, Uma tagged along for the venture. She needed a distraction from her first mate, who claimed he loved her yet constantly flirts with every girl he sees. Being away would help Uma clear her mind before her first day at Auradon Prep, where she would be training to be the new captain of R.O.A.R., a sword fighting sport that used to only allow boys on the team until Jay found a loophole in the rules.

Anyways, instead of immediately transporting the young women to camp, Hades took them on a tour of the Underworld to calm their nerves. This also gave him the opportunity to explain some of the mythical world they would face.

Within a few minutes of entering the god's palace, the group was unexpectedly greeted by an enormous three-headed dog; the _real _Cerberus, not a cheap recording to keep intruders out. He had to be at least the size of Auradon Prep, maybe even larger.

Cerberus ignored the father and daughter and instead directed his attention on Uma. He growled viciously as he tensed, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Uma instinctively, yet cautiously placed a hand on the butt of her sword, just in case she needed to defend herself. Mal had other plans.

Bravely standing in front of her old friend, Mal shouted to the guard dog, "Stop!"

Surprisingly to the young women, Cerberus ceased his growling while tilting his head in curiosity at the 'odd' order. From the sidelines, Hades unsuccessfully tried to hide his amused smile. He knew why the dog was listening to his daughter.

Unsure if her idea would work, Mal ordered in her most demanding voice, "Sit!"

As expected from an overgrown dog, it took some time for Cerberus to get into a sitting position. Once he was, Mal noticed he was still hovering a few feet above the ground.

"All the way," she chided, speaking to the ginormous dog as though he was a minuscule puppy.

Much to Hades's amusement, Cerberus whined at the command.

Mal raised her eyebrows at his behavior. "Don't make me ask twice," she warned, scolding him like a master would a misbehaving pup.

With a soft, yet loud huff, Cerberus did something a little unusual. Before the young women's eyes, he slowly started to shrink to a normal size dog with two of his heads melding into his body. Once he became a normal size, the girls identified him as a solid black Doberman—which they would have been unable to do if they didn't spend so much time around Carlos.

Once the transformation ended, Cerberus fully sat on the ground to complete the fairy's request.

Chuckling softly, Hades moved forward to rub his dog's head as a reward. Cerberus's ears perked up at the physical contact, his tail wagging happily at his owner's display of affection.

"As you can see," Hades began with his smile still evident, "Cerberus has the ability to change his size and form. He doesn't like to be in this form while he's supposed to be on guard duty, but he listened to you because—"

"He mistook _you_ for _me_," a calm, angelic voice claimed.

A remarkably beautiful woman—with hair as black as the night, skin as pale as death, and eyes the color of a kaleidoscope—appeared on the other side of Cerberus, casually patting his head for being an obedient companion. Her dress shimmered with colors as the flower patterns in the fabric occasionally changed and bloomed a variety of flowers; from roses to tulips, tulips to honeysuckle, and finally honeysuckle to roses to begin the pattern again.

Mal's breath caught in her throat at witnessing such a beauty. This woman . . . she couldn't be—

"Hello, Mal," the 'stranger' greeted kindly, absentmindedly stroking her dog's head. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Mal tilted her head in curiosity as she swallowed a lump in her throat to speak. "You know me?" She wondered in inquiry. "How?"

"I have kept a careful eye on you for the past few years." Her expression softened to a look of pity and sympathy. "I am so sorry for what your mother did to you. No child should have to go through such torture."

Mal's mouth hanged opened slightly at the apology, knowing _exactly_ what she was referring to. The only other people who knew about the 'incident' were Jay, Evie, and Carlos. How could she . . . ?

Uma crossed her arms over her chest to appear tougher. "And you are?"

"She is my wife." Hades grasped the woman's tiny flawless hand into his badly scarred hand. "Persephone."

"_She's _your wife?" Mal interrogated incredulously. "You married my evil lunatic of a mother when you were already married to this beautiful goddess? What were you thinking?"

"The same thing whenever he gets his side-women pregnant." Persephone shrugged casually, but the younger women could sense the tenseness in stance and voice. "Hades feels responsible for each child, so he stays until they are at least three years old and visits whenever they are older. You could call it his 'fatal flaw'."

"Considering what Apollo did all those years ago, you can't really blame me," Hades insisted defensively, though there was a hint of anger in his tone.

Uma decided to speak up, since she had little to no knowledge about any of the gods. "What exactly did he do?"

"He had his twin sister kill his girlfriend, who was pregnant with his child," Persephone explained with a disapproving sigh. "He tried to say he did the right thing by saving the child, who became the god of medicine. Apollo has everyone convinced he is such a fantastic god, but Hades and I don't buy his pathetic façade."

"Anyways," Hades intervened to revert to the originally subject, "Mal, I married your mother because she was pregnant with you _and_ because that king betrayed her. We agreed that I would get to name you. She didn't like that I wanted to name you after my 'first' wife, so she named you instead."

"I totally would have been fine with you naming me," Mal admitted. "It would have been better than 'Bertha'."

Uma shrugged nonchalantly. "And 'Persephone' _does_ sound better than 'Maleficent'."

"Not the name I have now." Persephone corrected slowly and kindly. "He wanted to give you the name I was first given by the mortals on Earth. At that time, I had purple hair much like your own. I kept it for many eons, changing the shade as you had, but people usually remember me with blond or dark hair."

"And the name?"

"Kore," Hades answered his daughter. "That's what I wanted to name you, but your mother insisted on her name."

_Kore_.

Mal repeated the name a few times in her head. It was definitely a unique name; better than the one she had now. She debated on whether she wanted to change her name, but nobody in Auradon would call her that . . .

"Let's return to the real situation," Persephone advised, knocking Mal out of her pondering thoughts. "I'm sure your father has told you about your conditions for staying at Camp Half-Blood."

"Uma and I can't tell anyone he's my father." Mal rattled off, almost as though she had it memorized. "We can't tell anyone who our parents are because no one would believe us."

"And?"

Mal tilted her head in curiosity. "What else is there?"

"Someone has to claim you as their child," Hades insisted. "The gods promised they would claim their children once they turned thirteen. Obviously, you are past the age limit since you just turned nineteen. The campers will grow suspicious if an unclaimed demigod appeared at camp just a few days after a major war has ended. The other gods agreed that someone needs to temporarily claim you until stated otherwise."

Mal rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Do I really have to go through with this?" She wondered. "I mean, I'm technically _not _a demigod."

"Zeus is too stubborn-headed to realize that," Hades insisted with an eyeroll of his own. "I tried explaining that your mother is not a mortal, but he is not convinced because _you_ look too much like a mortal."

Mal huffed in aggravation. She had finally forgiven her father—mostly—for abandoning her as a child and they were finally forming a family bond, even if it's a little strained. "So, who is claiming me instead?"

"I volunteered," Persephone answered, shrugging carelessly despite being internally happy at the way Mal perked up. "My mother didn't like the idea, but I insisted. Hades will still be your father, but he will have to be referred to as your 'step-father', the same goes for your siblings. Although, neither one seems to care for me, so they may not consider you a sibling."

"Can I at least tell them?" Mal wondered almost pleadingly. "Besides my close friends, I never had a real brother or sister."

"You need to keep the act up as much as possible," Persephone insisted skeptically. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to tell them. They may not like you since you knew Hades was your father and have been hidden away from them."

"But it is possible that they may somehow like her." Uma suggested before shrugging in feign disinterest. "I mean I don't see what there is to like about her, but maybe they will find something."

Hades snickered at her daughter's annoyed eye-roll. "We'll let you two decide," he negotiated. "But before you're taken to camp, we have to go over your sleeping arrangements."

"'Sleeping arrangement'?" Mal repeated incredulously. "We aren't kids. I'm nineteen and engaged!"

Uma scoffed. "Yeah, 'engaged'."

"It's required for demigods to sleep in their parents' designated cabins," Hades explained calmly. "Over the past years, more cabins have been made so the gods could claim all of their children. There is no cabin for my wife since she doesn't have any demigod children."

Mal crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "So where will we stay?"

"There were talks about putting you in the Demeter cabin," Persephone explained, "but Uma wouldn't exactly fit in. Instead you two will stay in the guest cabin, which was recently built for visiting Roman demigods."

"Since Dionysus is busy with who knows what, your siblings will lead you around Camp Half-Blood," Hades continued. "They will explain the rules and guidelines of the camp. If you have any problems, don't go to Chiron. Go straight to Dionysus. Chiron doesn't know anything about you while Dionysus is only one that knows who you are."

"We shouldn't keep your other children waiting," Persephone commented. "Nico will get restless with his ADHD."

Hades merely nodded before he gave the two teens a small confident smile. "Good luck."

With a snap of his finger, the girls melted into their own shadows.

So much for a warning.

* * *

**What do you think? Be sure to leave a review!**


	2. New Chapter 2

**Here is the second chapter of the day!**

**As stated in the previous chapter, there will be no chapter next week so I can focus on finishing 'Welcome to Reality'. After that story is finished I will be able to work on this chapter more.**

**I have also changed up this chapter a bit in that Nico and Hazel are the ones leading them around Camp Half-Blood instead of Dionysus. I plan to have Mal tell both Nico and Hazel sooner than she did in the first version of this story. They will help to make her more believable to the other demigods.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Warning for those of you who are curious, traveling by shadows is not as fun as it appears to be. As you travel through the darkness, it feels as though a part of you is being ripped away. Once you arrive at your destination, an intense cold chill spreads throughout your body as your breath is knocked out of you.

It was safe to say that neither Mal nor Uma enjoyed the experience. In fact, as soon as they emerged at their destination, they nearly fainted. They probably would have fallen is someone hadn't caught them by their arms. That 'someone' was a fifteen-year-old boy with skin as pale as Mal's and hair as dark as the night sky.

"You okay?" The boy wondered softly with a small hint of concern in his voice. "Shadow travel doesn't usually affect travelers like that."

"We're fine," Mal reassured as she tried to regain her breathing. "Just need a moment."

Taking a deep breath, Mal smiled kindly at the boy. "You must be Nico di Angelo," she assumed before turning to a girl about a year younger than him—her skin slightly lighter than Uma's, hair a light brown color, and eyes the color of pure gold. "And you must be Hazel Levesque. Mom and Step-Dad told me all about you two before making me come here."

"And our father has told us almost nothing about you," Hazel informed with slight disdain in her voice. "Just how long have you known Proserpina was your mother?"

Mal tilted her head curiously at the unfamiliar name. "Who's Proserpina?"

"Persephone," Nico explained slowly. " 'Proserpina' is her Roman name. Since you didn't know it, you are definitely Greek. So how long have you known Persephone was your mother?"

"Only for a few months," Mal answered as she tried to come up with a believable lie. "She didn't want Step-Dad to know about me, so while I was a baby she gave me to a woman I usually refer to as 'Mother'. I only found out Persephone was my mom after I became engaged to my fiancé."

Hazel raised an eyebrow as she examined Mal skeptically. "You look a little young to be engaged."

"Where we are from, people usually marry at a young age," Uma piped up. "My best friend's parents married at sixteen and our friend's step-sister married at fourteen."

"Well why do you keep referring to Hades as 'Step-Dad'?" Nico continued to interrogate.

"I never got the chance to meet my real father because he was killed in a car accident before I was born," Mal claimed way too skillfully—silently thankful for her silver-tongue. "Step-Dad was really kind to me when Mom finally introduced us to one another, maybe because I have the same color hair she used to have. He was uncomfortable with me calling him 'Dad', but he said 'Step-Dad' was acceptable."

"But you don't look like Persephone," Nico argued as he gave Mal a once-over. "You look more like . . ."

Mal cocked her head to the side. "Like who?"

Nico hesitated for a moment before shaking his head adamantly. "No one," he insisted in denial. "Let's get started with the tour."

"Where's our bags?" Uma wondered as she gestured to the empty space around them. "Did Hades or Persephone forget to send them with us?"

"Your belongings are probably in the guest cabin," Hazel somewhat reassured. "If not, we can have Mr. D contact them."

"Mr. D?"

"Dionysus." Nico answered. "He is the god overseeing this camp as punishment from his father Zeus, who happens to mine and Hazel's uncle. Unless you are fine with a lazy drunk, you should voice your concerns or problems to Chiron."

_Don't listen to your brother_, a voice—Hades's voice—chided in the VKs' minds. _Dionysus is the one to go to for any problems you may incur during your visit. Remember: Chiron has no idea that you are my daughter. Dionysus and the rest of the council knows, that's it._

Mal nodded absentmindedly with her 'step'-brother taking it as a response to his advice.

As they came down the hill toward the camp, the group stopped momentarily at the enormous strawberry patch. To help pay for camp expenses, they sell strawberries to New York restaurants. The campers help pick and grow the strawberries as part of their camp responsibilities. The satyrs play magical tunes on their reed pipes to increase the strawberry produce. Dionysus and his children, though he only has one at this camp, can use their ability or powers to make them grow as well.

Picking one of the ripest out of the bunch, Mal took a bite out of the delectable fruit. She moaned at how delicious it was. "Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed as she took another bite of the strawberry. "This is so good!"

Uma rolled her eyes. "Of course you think that." She turned her attention toward Nico and Hazel with a sigh to explain, "Strawberries are her favorite food. Her fiancé got her addicted to them when they went on their first date."

"Try this." Mal swiped a medium-sized berry from a larger bush and handed it to Uma. "It is _way_ better than any food from where we are from."

With a small huff, the sea witch bit into the fruit, expecting nothing too spectacular. She didn't expect the strawberry to taste so good. "Fine," Uma reluctantly admitted as she finished off the berry, "it is better than any food in our area."

Hazel shook her head in amusement, probably remembering the first time she tried a food from the current time period. "Maybe later you can pick a basket full for yourself to snack on," she suggested. "You'll have to pick some for the camp though."

"I'd make sure someone is with her," Uma joked, but her voice had an undertone of seriousness. "If you don't watch her, Mal will end up eating all of them."

Mal shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "I'm not going to argue with that," she claimed with a smile on her face.

"Let's continue with the tour," Nico insisted. "If there's time before dinner, I'll talk to Chiron or Mr. D so you can pick some to have for the next couple days."

"Awesome!" Mal cheered happily. "Let's get going."

* * *

As Nico and Hazel led the girls on the tour, they explained the various rules of the camp. Mal and Uma can choose when they have 'lights out', but the overall curfew of the camp is ten at the latest. Uma thought the curfew was a little early, but Nico argued that a third of the campers are thirteen or below, which is too young for them to be up past ten. If the girls are out past that time, the patrol harpies would find and eat them.

There are many activities for Mal and Uma to do. There was Arts & Crafts where they could paint, sculpt, or make whatever they want. If either girl wanted to practice their sword fighting, the Arena was just a few hundred yards past the Arts & Crafts.

Next to the Arena is a climbing wall that had actual lava spilling down it. Uma vetoed that idea. Since she is part sea witch, she has scales on her skin, but aren't noticeable when she is cool and well hydrated. If she were to get to close to the lava, her scales would start to show, which is not good if they wanted to keep up the act. Although she didn't tell the siblings any of that.

Hazel mentioned a lake that the campers used to practice their canoeing. Obviously, Mal vetoed that idea. In the past three years that she has been in Auradon, she has never learned how to swim. Her fiancé made plans to teach her, but it always got rescheduled because of his responsibilities. Mal was completely fine with that because she's quite reluctant to learn.

The last on the list was Pegasus flying. There was a class taught once a day for those that wanted to learn how to fly on a Pegasus or to teach how to properly hook a Pegasus to a chariot. Some days the Pegasi in the stables get restless so some campers spend the day flying each Pegasus to stretch out their wings. Mal and Uma mutually agreed that they would give that a chance whenever they had a free moment.

After leading the girls to their new home for the next couple weeks, Hazel and Nico had to leave to attend to some matters at the Big House. Mal and Uma were free to roam the camp until the conch horn is blown for dinner. The siblings reassured them they would be able to find the dining pavilion without their help, but if they needed to, they would find them and direct them to the pavilion.

Although the cabin looked small on the outside, it was incredibly large on the inside. Inside, there were two large queen sized beds pushed against opposite walls, yet still enough room for three additional beds if needed. At the foot of each beds were chests as long as the widths of the beds for each girl to place their clothes in, which was WAY too much space for either of them. In the back of the cabin, there was a private bathroom so neither one would have to use the public washroom.

The girls spent about ten minutes unpacking their clothes from the suitcases they borrowed from Auradon Prep. They both laid their clothing on their beds, evidently planning their outfit for the next couple days.

As Uma started placing her spare set of shoes in the chest, a sudden glare of light flashed in her eye. Turning to the direction of where the glare originated, she noticed something that wasn't there before. Close to the front of the cabin, by the window, a fountain had magically appeared.

"Hey M," Uma called to the fairy as she pointed to the mysterious fountain. "Was that there before?"

Mal shook her head in denial. The two cautiously walked toward the new décor, completely forgetting about their clothes that were carelessly strewn across their beds. The fountain had water running from a spout, but it would come out as a sort of mist. At the bottom of the bowl where the water was collected, a handful of semi-large gold coins were scattered about.

"Those are called drachma."

The girls whipped around at the sudden intruder's voice. Uma had drawn her sword while Mal had her arms up in a defensive fighting position. They relaxed once they realized who the 'intruder' was.

On the edge of Mal's bed sat her father Hades, who burst out in laughter. "Seriously, Girls," Hades chided as he smiled in amusement. "You really need to lighten up."

"How are you here?" Mal interrogated as she dropped her stance. "More importantly, _why _are you here? I thought the gods didn't want anyone knowing about you in your Auradon form."

"Relax," Hades insisted. "I tested it out just a few moments ago and none of the other demigods can see me in this form. In fact, I'm not really here."

Uma groaned in annoyance. "Here we go with the confusing concepts," she guessed in aggravation. "Can't anything be simple?"

"I'm afraid not," Hades commented with a shrug. "But I'll try to make this as easy as possible. Usually, most of the gods speak to their children in their minds, and most times cryptically. Since I didn't want either one of you to go senile during your visit, I created this illusion of me so I can't speak to you whenever needed. It will only last for a few minutes at a time, so I have to make each talk quick. If or when you decide to tell Hazel and Nico, they will be able to see this illusion."

Uma nodded. "That _is _slightly easier to understand."

Wanting to change the subject, Mal motioned to the fountain. "So, what is this for? Decoration?"

"It's a safer way for demigods to video message," Hades explained. "Modern technology attracts monsters, which is why I had Fairy Godmother charm your phones before you left to prevent that. To call someone, you throw a drachma into the mist while saying, 'Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering.' Afterwards, you say the name of the intended recipient and their general location, and then they will appear. To end a call, you wave your hand through the mist."

"Will it work to call people in Auradon?"

Hades shrugged, not really knowing the answer. "I'm not entirely sure," he confessed. "If you want to test it out later, I suggest you warn whoever you wanted to call in Auradon so they don't get surprised. One time, your sister Iris-Messaged someone while they were in the bath. To be completely fair, Romans never really used Iris-Messages because they had a more advanced methods, like giant eagles."

Mal snarled her nose at the explanation. "How are giant eagles more advanced?"

"Romans are crazy," Hades insisted, before sighing reluctantly. "I better go before the illusion fades. If you need to speak to me, just say my name and I'll appear."

And right before either girl could respond, Hades vanished from sight.

"Well," Uma began as she stretched her arms, placing her sword back in its sheath, "I am going to get some rest. It's been a very long day already."

Mal yawned as she sat at the edge of her new bed. "I'm with you there Uma. Maybe once we wake from our nap, it'll be time for dinner. I can't wait to meet some of the other campers."

And neither can they.

* * *

**What do you think? I sort of got behind on working on this chapter and with my college work so I didn't really change anything with Hades introducing Iris-Messaging to the VKs.**

**Be sure to leave a review!**


	3. New Chapter 3

**Here is the next chapter!**

**I am sorry it is posted later in the day. I got behind on schoolwork and my other stories. I usually post early in the morning and I will try to do so next week. **

**Many things have changed with this chapter, specifically the clothing and the encounter during dinner. A reviewer pointed something out and I thought I could make it work starting with this chapter.**

**Enjoy. **

* * *

After tossing and turning in bed for nearly an hour, Mal turned on her side to face Uma, who was busy texting away on her phone.

"Can't sleep either?" Mal assumed softly.

Uma shook her head in denial, not once taking her eyes off her phone. "Cece's been texting me nonstop," she informed with a soft sigh. "She's been telling me how much she misses me and asking if I'm okay after what happened between me and Harry. I didn't call because I didn't want to wake you if you were waiting."

"I wouldn't have minded!" Mal insisted as she sat up from bed, tossing the blankets off her. "Celia is your sister. She's probably so excited you two will finally be in school together."

A little background on Uma before we continue. While her mother is Ursula, her father is Dr. Facilier, the Voodoo Man. That made Celia Facilier—a spunky fourteen-year-old with brown curly frizzy hair and similar dark skin tone—Uma's half-sister. Despite sharing only a father, the sisters loved each other unconditionally, like any siblings should. Since there is a five-year difference between them, they never been in the same school building until the new proclamation. Celia had been particularly delighted since she'd be in a few classes with her 'Umie'.

Finally tearing her eyes away from the glaring screen to look at the fairy, Uma unexpectedly snarled her nose in disgust. "What the hell are you wearing?"

Tilting her head curiously, Mal gazed down at her clothing before dropping her mouth in shock. Instead of the purple out she was wearing at her father's kingdom, she was now wearing a hideous orange shirt with the Camp Half-Blood logo and jean shorts that hugged her too much. Mal, admittedly, has a larger than normal booty and usually wears something to somewhat cover it. Over the past few years, she's become less self-conscious of her giant booty, but those shorts made her _completely _uncomfortable.

Looking up, Mal noticed something with Uma. "You're wearing the same thing!" Mal insisted.

Uma glanced down at her outfit, her eyes widening in shock at the revelation. The teal and turquoise—because the author can't tell the difference between the two colors—clothing she wore a couple hours ago had indeed been replaced with an equally repulsive orange-colored shirt and jean shorts that went to her knees instead of mid-thigh like Mal's, but still as skin clinging.

"Dad!" Mal shouted in aggravation. "What the hell is this!"

In a split second, a mirage of Hades appeared in front of the entranceway. "First, watch your language," the god scolded lightly. "A queen shouldn't speak in such a way. Second, every demigod in camp wears an outfit like the ones you have on now. It's like a dress code. You've been wearing it ever since you arrived."

"But Nico wasn't in that outfit!" Mal whined childishly. "Neither was Hazel! She was wearing a purple shirt while Nico wore a black shirt and dark pants!"

"Hazel is Roman," Hades began to explain slowly to help cool down her daughter's temper. "In the Roman demigod camp, that purple shirt is their dress code. As for Nico, Dionysus gave him permission to wear his dark colored clothing so he would feel more comfortable at camp since he had run away before."

"That doesn't explain why I'm wearing this outfit," Uma chided. "I'm not a demigod."

Hades winced. "Actually . . ." he began reluctantly, "my wife and I realized something while my other children were taking you two on the tour. Uma, although you aren't the daughter of a god, you are actually the _grand-daughter _of a god."

Seeing the confusion on the sea witch's expression, the god explained, "You already know that your mother and King Triton are siblings; however, Triton is actually a teenager here a couple years younger than you while there is no version of your mother here. Well Triton and your mother are the children of Poseidon, my other brother. That essentially means that you are the grand-daughter of Poseidon.

"This is actually perfect," Hades reassured. "It wouldn't make sense to have an ordinary mortal come to a demigod camp. Having Dionysus introduce you as the grand-daughter of Poseidon during dinner announcement tonight is a perfect way to have you fit in. I already spoke with my brother and he is more than willing to vouch for you if necessary."

Uma sighed softly at the news. "Fine," she grumbled. "Guess I have to live with it."

From a distance, a conch horn could be heard, the signal for dinner.

"I'll let you two head to the dining pavilion." Hades insisted, though his posture was tense from the announcement. "Each cabin has a table specific to them. You'll know which is yours. Good luck."

* * *

After following the worn-down trail and the crowd of teenagers around the ages of nine to nearly twenty, the VK women arrived at the dining pavilion with many eyes watching them. That didn't really bother the women since they had to overcome similar obstacles when first living in the kingdom of Auradon.

The thing that truly bothered Mal was those damn shorts she wore. Every few steps, the jean-like fabric rides up on her, forcing her to tug them down every other minute. She is an engaged woman after all and doesn't want teenage boys a few years younger than her eyeing her. After dinner she's doing something about it.

As promised, Mal and Uma found their designated table in the matter of moments. It really wasn't that hard since there was a small blue flame on top that no one else seemed to notice. As soon as they took their seat, the flame disappeared, like it was never there to begin with.

After wondering where the food was, a plate filled to the top with delicious cuisines appeared in front of each of the VK women, who sat across from one another. Without waiting for whatever they were supposed to do, they dug into their meal like they haven't ate anything in a week—which wasn't unusual on the Isle of the Lost. To be fair, the food they were eating was more delicious than Mrs. Potts ever cooked for them, but they wouldn't tell her that.

In the middle of their feasting, Hazel appeared with a bright bubbly smile on her face. Bumping her 'step'-sister's shoulder jokingly, Hazel practically sat on her lap before Mal scooted down the bench with a chuckle. The fairy found it so amusing on how Hazel reminded her so much of the spunky Celia.

"Hello to you too," Mal teased as she scooted closer to Hazel in the same joking manner. "What brings you to the table of outcasts?"

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Hazel practically slammed a pail filled with strawberries on the table. Mal squealed in delight as began chowing down on her favorite fruit.

"You better slow down," Uma warned in a teasing tone. "You won't be able to fit into your wedding dress if you keep eating like that. Evie's going to be mad if she has to make last minute adjustments on a dress she spent so much time on already. You're kind of acting like you're pregnant."

With a light glare, Mal reluctantly moved the pail of delectable fruit to the side. "Please, don't start that rumor," she begged forcefully. "The last thing Ben and I need is people thinking he's marrying me because I'm with his child. Besides, we haven't done anything yet."

Uma snorted in amusement. "Sure you haven't. Not like you told me a few hours ago that _that _was the reason you were late meeting me."

Blushing way worse than normal, Hazel pleaded, "Can we change the subject? I'd rather not hear about my stepsister's 'activities' with her fiancé."

Snickering at the younger teen's modesty, Uma complied with a smile. "Alright, so tell us, what's up with these seating arrangements?"

"It's camp tradition," Hazel insisted, gratefully for the change of topic. "Each cabin has a table dedicated to them, but most are unused during winter and spring due to most campers being in school. You could have gotten into major trouble if you sat anywhere before last week. Mr. D and Chiron decided to modify the rules since the discovery of Roman campers, like myself. During breakfast and lunch, the campers can sit wherever they want with whoever they want. During dinner, the demigods have to sit at their godly parent's table to show respect."

"What about you?" Mal questioned curiously. "Why are you here instead of with Nico?"

"Like I said, I'm Roman," Hazel reminded with a shrug, "which means I can sit here or at the Hades table, since he is the Greek version of my father. I wanted to sit here because I like you and Nico does too. Although you're Proser—_Persephone's _daughter, we really like you, but don't know exactly why. Nico says you remind him of his sister."

"Bianca?" Mal clarified curiously. "Step-Dad told me about her. He said she was killed when she tried saving her cousin, the son of Poseidon."

"That's what Nico told me too," Hazel clarified as she swiped a strawberry for herself. "He tries not to talk about her much anymore, hoping it will help him get over her death again."

"Uh . . ." Uma interrupted as she peered behind the sisters. "If you and Nico are the only children of Hades, then why is there a blond-haired surfer looking dude sitting next to him."

Turning to get a better look, Hazel perked up at seeing the teenager that was probably a year older than Nico, maybe just a few months. "That's Will Solace," she informed with a small smile before she and Mal turned back to face Uma. "He doesn't want Nico to get all depressed sitting by himself, so Will sneaks a few minutes with him when Chiron and Mr. D aren't looking. I usually manipulate the Mist to help Will from getting caught. Nico hasn't told anyone else yet, but he and Will are dating."

Mal whipped her head toward Hazel with wide surprised eyes. "Nico's gay?" Mal clarified curiously. "Why didn't he tell us?"

"Afraid of judgement," Hazel answered a little too easily. "It took him almost three years to tell Percy, the son of Poseidon, that he had a crush on him, which was only a week ago. Only a handful of campers know he's gay, which are our closest friends and cousins."

Before anything else could be said about the matter, Nico suddenly came to the table, taking a seat next to Uma and across from Mal. "Mr. D gave me permission to sit here," he informed with a careless shrug. "Something about how I needed to spend some 'quality time' with my step-sister."

After getting comfortable, Nico finally noticed the looks Mal and Uma were giving him. He sighed in annoyance. "Hazel told you I was gay, didn't she?"

"We don't care," Mal insisted calmly so her brother wouldn't over-react. "My childhood best friend—who I have known practically my whole life—finally told me he was gay a month before we transferred to our boarding school. That was nearly four years ago. I _never _thought little of him because of it. I love him like a brother too much to make something so small change anything between us."

Reaching forward to hold Nico's hand, Mal smiled reassuring. "Even though I have only known you for a few hours," she began with her smile growing, "I _do _love you, even if we are just step-siblings."

"What am I?" Hazel questioned with feign hurt in her tone. "Chopped liver?"

Chuckling slightly, Mal dropped Nico's hand to rub Hazel's head affectionately. "You know, I've always wanted an annoying little sister. Uma has one and she is a _lot _like you."

"Wait until I tell Celia," Uma joked between bites of fresh pineapple. "She's going to prank you really bad now."

Before more could be said, everyone reluctantly went silent so Dionysus could begin with the evening announcements. First, he introduced Mal as the daughter of Persephone and then Uma as the grand-daughter of Poseidon, as originally planned half-an-hour ago. To keep anyone from raising suspicion, the god explained that, since they would only be visiting camp for a week, Uma would stay in the guest cabin so Mal wouldn't be alone in an unfamiliar place.

Of course, there was the usual mutter of speculations and doubt. Some made nasty remarks at their unnatural hair color—though it was _completely _natural. Some wondered why no one discovered Mal being the daughter of Persephone sooner. Others wondered how the two were able to live so long without being attacked by monsters. A small handful questioned if Uma was really a 'descendant' of Poseidon.

Next, Chiron —the centaur that trained many heroes for many eons—continued with the delayed results of cabin inspections.

"Cabin inspections?" Mal muttered to her table as Chiron listed off the cleanest cabins and their rewards, which were first to have breakfast. "What's that?"

"Something we forgot to tell you about," Nico replied in the same low volume.

"Chiron!" Hazel shouted as a way to interrupt the old centaur. "We didn't tell Mal or Uma about the cabin inspections. Can they be exempt this one time?"

"I will allow it," Dionysus insisted before Chiron could deny the claim. "They are exempt because I also forgot to inform them prior to their visit. Now, Chiron, if you will continue—"

"Why are they getting special treatment?" yelled an Asian girl sitting with a group of demigods that could have come out of a fashion magazine. The seventeen-year-old had long black hair and wore too much makeup to try to be beautiful.

The teenager set her brown eyes on Mal as she sneered venomously, "Is it because she's the daughter of that useless goddes—"

Dionysus slammed his hands on the table as he abruptly stood from the head table. "Drew Tanaka, that is ENOUGH!" He shouted authoritatively.

With his eyes glowing to show his power, he glared at the demigoddess angrily. "You will _not_ refer to Persephone in such a way. May I remind you that she is the wife of one of the Big Three—"

"Who she cheated on and had a child without." 'Drew' argued, her voice having somewhat of an impact on the other demigods, except for Mal and Uma. "Who knows how many more times she's cheated on Hades?"

Dionysus's glare deepened. "It seems you've forgotten that Persephone is my _sister_," he commented harshly. He turned his attention to the campers as a whole. "If I hear _anyone _saying disrespectful things about the Queen of the Underworld, you will be punished by me _and _I will personally inform the King of the Underworld! When you are judged in your after-life, he won't be as forgiving as me."

That cheerful proclamation caused the dining pavilion to become a gloomy atmosphere. Chiron quickly rattled off the rest of the announcements to which the demigods quietly muttered to one another afterwards.

"Well," Uma began as she took a bite out of a strawberry that she swiped from the pail without Mal knowing, "it looks like you found your new 'Audrey'."

Mal busted out in laughter, causing most of the campers to stare at her like she was crazy. But they already learned a little too quickly to not say anything bad about her in fear of repercussions.

After some time, Chiron announced the theme of the camp sing-off for that night would be rapping. Hazel quickly explained to the visitors that whoever wins gets first shower privileges in the morning for their whole cabin. Mal perked up at the news until . . .

_You can't compete,_ Hades's voice warned in both his daughter's and Uma's mind. _The demigods will immediately mistake you as the daughter of Apollo. Uma is the only one out of you two that can participate. I'm sorry._

Uma adverted her gaze to Mal, who was silently fuming angrily at the news. Looking straight into the sea witch's face with a straight face, Mal spat, "Kick their asses."

Uma smirked. "These poor unfortunate souls won't know what hit them."


End file.
